


I'll still be with you

by Kimmito



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Dysfunctional Family, F/M, Family Bonding, Gen, Multi, Self-Discovery, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:53:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25760905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimmito/pseuds/Kimmito
Summary: The story of how mistakes, poor communication, and decisions made in times of pain can fracture a family.Or, also, the story of how Damian found himself.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Damian Wayne
Comments: 40
Kudos: 171





	1. Awake

It was a mistake.

It was a damn mistake.

Damian drops the katana on the cold, grimy concrete of Gotham's rotten streets, the scene in front of him barely allows him to register the muffled sound of the gun crashing unevenly on the ground, nor can he focus on the alarmed screams his brothers emit through his communicator. The only thing his mind is capable of registering is the presence of his father on his back, well aware of his disappointed gaze staring at him.

_I didn't want to kill him._

He was fighting as usual, he learned the correct direction of his attacks not to kill and better ways to fight to avoid mistakes like this, but it happened. He still _killed someone_. Because right now? He's no longer a murderer, he runs proud wearing Robin's cloak and what it represents, he learned from Grayson, from his other brothers... _why does he always fail at something? Why does nothing ever go right for him? Why does the world keep yelling in his face: MURDERER?_

"F-Father…"

"When everyone's done, we'll see you in the cave."

Damian turns to his father, but he's already gone. He bites his lip in frustration and doubt, stays in the middle of the night turning his back on the body of the criminal he killed... and looks at the empty space where Batman once stood, now only showing a direct path to the street. The loneliness and darkness of the night leave the invisible moon as his only company, forcing him to submit to the ups and downs of the life that was imposed on him and the life he chose for himself, which continue to diverge from each other, colliding, searching to destroy each other, even when he swore to himself that he would always be careful, that he would be better.

He was proud of his progress, proud that his father trusted him more.

He was proud of the person he was becoming, he was sure that his growth would put him on the same level as his brothers.

_He was wrong._

A presence behind him makes him turn and his reflections force him to take his sword, which is still on the ground, so he only has the posture to face the stranger.

Nightwing watches him with a sad expression and reaches out to place a hand on his shoulder, Damian hunches at the friendly and understanding touch, doesn't help with the guilt, but makes him feel lighter, stronger to face the inevitable gaze of disappointment from his father.

"You don't have to explain anything to me, I know."

Damian no longer has to look up to face his older brother's gaze, but he would like him to remain that way, he would like to still be a child to be pampered by Grayson's excessive affection, but he cannot hide in that way. .

He made a mistake and must face the consequences.

"I'll be backing you." Grayson whispers in his ear before bending down to take the katana and return it to him, a small smile dedicated only to him.

It was only a moment, but it meant everything.

With a new confidence, a little hope, he makes his way back home. Take one last look at the person who murdered and follow Grayson.

It's almost nostalgic like a year ago it was just the two of them against the world, jumping the same way through the rooftops, but now Richard doesn't wear a cape or a somber expression, yet the feeling is the same: _freedom._

_If I were Grayson's son in some distant universe, would I be happier? Would the feeling of failure disappear? Would I stop falling down the deep pit I was thrown into?_

_I would like to dream a little more, why did they give me the world and take it from me as if I wasn't worthy of looking at it?_

_Will I never be enough?_

_…_

_Even if I never were, I don't want to give up, even if only pieces remain of me..._

He's the last to reach the cave, his thoughts submerged him in the comfort of routine and his steps slowed down as if deep in his being he knew that it would be the last time he would run through those worn roofs, even the drizzle nocturnal caressed him like a silent farewell.

Something within himself screamed at him: _it's the last time you fly through these skies_.

When he stands in front of Batman, everyone else remains distant, but attentive. Drake drops his hood and meets his gaze, soft and, perhaps, a bit of concern reflected in his eyes.

It was a mistake. His father can't get too angry because he made a mistake, can he? _Only it wasn't a simple mistake, you killed it._

"Robin."

"Yes father?"

Every second the silence stretches, Damian feels the air grow heavier. The most terrible thing about Batman is not his reprimands, it's his silences and looks that say more than any language is capable of expressing. No matter what he says, nothing is worse than being in front of his father while silently judging him.

"You'll be on the bench indefinitely."

"Bruce!" Richard shouts from one end, the tone of reprimand in the older man's voice doesn't escape him, although he knows it will have no effect on his father. "You can't treat it like it was done on purpose."

"A death is a death, Nightwing."

"And he knows it, but..."

"If I knew, we wouldn't be having this conversation. I'll not change my mind, we are finished."

He just watches the exchange, Richard even came over in the middle of the conversation to be by his side. Damian just raises his head with dignity, accepting the facts, but isn't it even worth a scolding anymore? Did he just treat him as a lost case?

_It doesn't hurt._

Damian frowns and walks off to the locker room, not saying a word to anyone despite feeling all eyes on him, despite noticing that Grayson intends to speak to him.

_It doesn't hurt._

He stops in front of his locker, looks at his clothes and disconnects from his surroundings. He takes off his costume automatically, he can't allow himself to feel anything in those moments, he just has to act with the dignity that Damian Wayne has to maintain, he just...

"Damian, I'm proud of you."

Grayson's hug is both a relief and a weight that threatens to break it. A cry from the depths of his soul claims for the betrayal, disappointment and despair that a simple accident brought to the surface. The gentle waters of the crystalline lake hid in its depths the shadows of the beast that resided in them, taking him with it at the slightest disturbance, devouring him completely.

What if he just gave up? What if his destiny is to be devoured by the beast?

_Still, I don't want to give up._

"I’m aware, G-Richard..."

Grayson lets out a muffled gasp upon hearing it, Damian can't blame him, it's the first time he's called him by his name, but he deserves it, right? Richard was always for him, he accepted him even with everyone against him, he understood him where no one else did him and he love him as no one else seems to do it.

_Why couldn't I be another normal boy? Why was I born as Damian Al Ghul? Why did I become Damian Wayne? Why am I required to choose only one?_

"I'm going to change and go to bed... Can I... sleep with you?"

The words almost caught in his throat, locked by the lump that had formed. These feelings want to compel him to bow, hug himself, and scream. He will explode, unable to contain himself and there will be no force capable of stopping him from collapsing.

"Sure… and Damian, you're still learning, Bruce is too strict with you."

Damian can feel Richard's smile in his words, a curvature that always forms with the same ease of the smooth flow of a river, without disturbances or rocks that interrupt its flow. He was always surprised by the ease with which he smiles at him, through every mistake, through every difficulty. Richard Grayson always tries to face the world with a smile.

It comforts him to know that he exists, that he's real and not another cruel joke to make life laugh in his face.

Holding Robin's mask for the last time, he really feels like he won't be wearing it again.

Maybe it's for the best. Robin is a symbol and he could not represent it.

He hasn't wings to fly the skies that Robin must fly.

_Still, I could not help stretch my hand and try to reach the vast sky above me..._

_It was a good dream, but now I'm awake._

_I'm not Robin, nor a Wayne, and I'll never be an Al Ghul again._

_I don't want to give up, I'll just go back and find my way._

_This is not my last battle._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to start this fanfic focused on Damian because I really like his character and the layers he has, in addition to giving a twist to his development, at least, I hope to achieve it.
> 
> I will rely heavily on the personality I have managed to capture in the comics, so I hope this goes well.
> 
> What do you think?
> 
> * * *
> 
> Yes there will be a ship, but I will show that later to avoid spoilers haha


	2. The blue of the sky

_Maybe, I can never see this sky again..._

The raindrops fall in silent lament, drowning out the noise of the city that is prey to its tears. He just watches the clouds above him, ignoring the water and allowing himself to soak, the white uniform shirt sticks to him defining the muscles he hides underneath, the hair almost covering his eyes as it drips following the rhythm imposed by the sky.

"From here, I can't tell if you're crying or not."

Damian looks away from the dark sky and meets his best friend's vibrant blue, a brilliant color among all the gray that surrounds him. Since that fateful night everything has lost its meaning, didn't he want to make his father proud? Didn't he want to show that he could do great things? Didn't he want to find his own way?

"You're going to get sick, let's go to class."

"No, I'll stay here..."

"Shall I call Alfred or Dick? You don't look good. ”He keeps staring at the blue, sees it blur with the boy's conflicting emotions. Jon is still three years younger than him, it doesn't matter that he's already nearing puberty. His features are still childish, he still lights up as if he were his own sun without needing the star that revitalize him.

"I'll be fine, I just need time..."

_Why do I feel this way?_

Jon just watches him before nodding, doesn't say anything else, and walks away. He gives him little glances the further he walks back to the classroom, for several days he has been that way, _sad_. And as if the skies of Gotham felt it, the same amount of time it has been raining, shedding the tears that the teenager is not able to let go.

Damian looks back at the clouds, feeling his eyes sting. In an attempt to contain the sensation, he closes his eyes and just lets himself be felt, the drops soaking him even more, knowing that Alfred won't be happy when he sees him dripping so much water that he could give a whole neighborhood drink. But the rain stops falling on him and he opens his eyes again, a black umbrella protects him.

"I extended a permit to your teacher, come with me."

Damian feels the return of the rain abruptly on him and sees Drake walking towards the main entrance, unlike him, his brother is so neat that he doesn't seem to be walking in the rain. He looks at him for just one more moment before walking behind him.

Before, when he first arrived, he saw Drake as someone inferior, as a piece to be eliminated from the board in order to achieve his objectives, he earned his contempt and a cold shoulder that prevailed until now. Drake is the hardest to read, always hidden behind a sympathetic image, easy to ignore, easy to underestimate and forget that, of all the Wayne family members, he's the most dangerous. He runs Wayne Enterprise better than Bruce, everyone says, the efficiency of the company grew as soon as he got the full job a year ago. Drake is nineteen years old and it's already everything Bruce never asked for, but is proud to have.

_If I were like him would my father be proud? Would he love me more?_

They move silently through the damp streets of the city, Damian has his eyes fixed on the drops that crash against the glass of the window. There was no comment, Drake just handed him his jacket and now it's just as wet as the rest of him.

He don't want to keep thinking, he just want your mind to push all the thoughts that drown him and let he breathe easy. He feels tormented by not being able to fulfill his father's expectations, by the quiet years in the company of Richard and that were broken by the abrupt return of Bruce, by the time it left and will never return, by the lost happiness, for the torn illusions and for the dreams that are impossible to reach on a horizon that recedes with each step he takes.

"I'm Sorry."

Damian turns to Drake immediately, he's suddenly with the blue of the sky that is dimmed by sadness.

"Why?"

"It's my fault, I brought Bruce back."

He doesn't say anything, maybe that's enough, because his brother returns all his attention to the streets.

The sound of the rain envelops them and the cold is almost welcoming. Damian closes his eyes and leans against the glass, he doesn't care about the destination as long as it's as far as possible from the mansion, the school and everything that haunts him. Because he failed.

_I just have to resist… it's the only thing I can do._

_I'll not change my father's mind._

_I'll not change overnight..._

The lack of movement brings him back to reality, the noise of the drops hitting the car is not heard either. They are under cover.

"Where we are?"

"My home."

Sure, Drake lives in the city. Like Todd, he follows the patrol routes imposed by Batman, but no longer lives in the mansion. It's just Bruce, Alfred and him...

A sense of tranquility floods him, it's not the mansion. It's a place without shadows, but neither with a light that he doesn't deserve. Follow Drake up to the tall silver, barely noticing the details of the apartment, though it0s more of a complete building. He vaguely remembers that it's the old theater near the alley where his grandparents died, it was not important and still is not, it is almost surprising how detached he feels to the whole thing, when that event was the first and great event that he brought to life to Batman. He could say, without shame, that he feels closer to the death of Richard's parents, because he always spoke to him about them and made him part of those moments, he made them his family.

"Why are we here, Drake?"

He sees him wandering aimlessly until he stops in front of a door, gives him a glance before entering the new environment. Damian follows him, assuming the answer to his question is there.

A room so small that it could be a matchbox, at odds with the large space enjoyed in the previous room. Stacked books and scattered papers are the main decorations, but the most important are the two computers. Drake works in that little 4x4 space? The place is visibly uncomfortable.

"Drake."

"Bruce is being unfair to you." Damian frowns, his brother doesn't face him, he can only see him in profile while he turns on one of the two computers. The light illuminates his face, making his dull expression better to see. "I was also unfair to you six years ago and I remained so for a long time, I was stuck in your version of ten years. I'm sorry for that too, you deserved more. We're family."

It was never a secret that Drake held a grudge against him and to receive such a sincere apology, admitting that it wasn't just Damian who made mistakes, it's a new and unfamiliar feeling. It's not exactly unpleasant, although it does cause him some discomfort.

"I know it was an accident. I can't judge you for that, I've been close to passing that line… ”He falls silent and begins typing, opening files and an email. Damian begins to suspect that those computers are not for work, he looks for the switch and when the whole room is properly lit, he can see everything in greater detail.

Stacked books are magic, since when has Drake been interested in magic? It's no secret that he feels rejection towards it, so it's strange. The scattered papers, for some that he can read, are bank accounts and other documents related to a certain _Gabriel Agreste_. On the far wall are a couple of photographs, guarded as if they were a secret. Red Robin and a spotted heroine, Drake and a young girl with bright blue eyes and a kind smile. He can only assume that it's the same woman.

"What is all this?"

"The memories of my trip."

Damian doesn't make sense in his words, but doesn't push. He's tired of pushing.

 _Just hold on... this place is at least much better than the mansion_.

"I'll go."

"Hm?"

"I'll leave Gotham and I'll not return." Only until then does he look at the screen, there is another photo of that same woman, but in the design of a French _Marie Lenoir_ passport, he's sure that this is not her real Name. Next to it's also one of him, _Timothée Rothchild._ That just confirms it's not her real name. "There is something I must do and it will take me a lifetime."

"Why are you telling me?"

"Do you want to come?"

Damian just watches him open another document and this time, it's his photo with a blank passport.

_I wanna go?_

_Maybe that's the time to go back and find my way..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the second chapter, we are already advancing a little with the plot. I don't know if I managed to express well the feeling of melancholy and of being... lost, yes. I hope I have made it.
> 
> What did you think?


	3. Moon

_Initially, I would only be in Paris for a couple of days, but that night changed everything._

_No matter how much I think about it, I can't see that it was otherwise._

_Nor do I want it to have been._

Red Robin jumps off Wayne Tower when he hears Red Hood calling for a backup in a showdown against Penguin's some goons, he's the closest to his location and the others are busy on the other side of town dealing with their own problems.

Nights like that, cold and with bright silver clouds that insist on hiding the moon, remind him of that night in Paris, of her blue eyes illuminated by a moon that managed to escape from the spongy trap in which it was. He smiles a little, even though he should be more focused on his mission, but the feeling of running and flying through the skies of Gotham is something he will miss, his nights are numbered.

Stopping the Penguin's goons isn't easy, they managed to cause them a couple of problems but they finish fast enough to hear Batman's words perfectly. Tim barely registers what Jason says next to him, focusing solely on Bruce's voice.

_"When everyone's done, we'll see you in the cave."_

Cold, distant, like a dagger lazily embedded in a lung. The tone he occupies when one of them has disappointed him, lately it's Damian who has received it, even though the teenager has stopped being the ten-year-old brat who came to the mansion, but what for them was four long years of struggle for Bruce it was just a few months. He didn't see Damian's growth, nor did he see his downfalls, nor did he see what ended up throwing down the barriers that had been created years ago between him and everyone else.

Batman doesn't see that his Robin is capable of leaving the nest, he just needs to realize that his wings are strong enough to fly alone. Tim had a hard time, but perhaps it was because of the chains with which he tied his wings himself, convinced that he needed them.

Back in the cave, Tim waits for Damian's arrival. They're not the closest, years of conflict don't disappear in months, but the last year has been difficult for Robin, stumbling again where it was already leveled ground and he cannot avoid the guilt generated by the thought that it was his obsession with bring back to Bruce what has generated the unhappiness of the youngest.

When Damian arrives, their gazes meet for a brief moment, but it's enough for him. Tim leaves the cape and hood on the back of the chair and walks out, not wanting to hear the inevitable debacle in which the Batman-Robin relationship will end, a relationship of partners that he fought so hard to reestablish and that, without being able to do anything to stop it, it has crashed into an unbreakable wall. This time it's not Damian's fault, no, it's Bruce's fault.

He enters the mansion and walks aimlessly, stopping in the dining room as he lets himself be invaded by the memories of his adolescence being Robin, then becoming Red Robin, the moments when he felt lost and the few times he thought were if not happy, enjoyable.

It feels as if tomorrow everything will disappear in front of his eyes, but it's only the inevitable goodbye to the only place he had ever considered home that forces him to reminisce about those times. These were not simple times, there is nothing simple about being a vigilante, but it was fun.

He settles into a chair and waits, the what? He's not sure, but he knows to wait. _Learn to trust your instincts_ , she had said _, you trust the facts too much, sometimes what the soul says can be right._ Five months have passed since the last time they met, it will soon be her birthday.

"Master Tim."

"Alfred, how is Damian?" He doesn't look at the butler, knowing this is the last time he speak to him.

"Master Bruce has seated him on the bench indefinitely." The old man goes to the kitchen leaving Tim alone again, at that moment he directs his gaze towards him. He lets out a sigh before standing up, his gaze now fixed on the finely varnished table. "You know, Master Tim? The day you first arrived at the mansion, I didn't think you would become so important to this family. "

"Alfred..."

"Please take good care of yourself. Don't forget to sleep at least four hours a day, eat all three times of day, and send me photos of the family you will form. "Tim feels his eyes sting when he sees Alfred's kind smile, especially when the man hands him a small package of his name.

_To: Timothy Jackson Drake-Wayne_

_A memory of: Alfred Pennyworth_

"I...Thank you…."

Tim hugs the butler tightly, feeling the hug, clinging to his understanding and affection.

"As soon as I settle in, I will get in touch with you.” He assures the man who became an example for him, Alfred was always a constant in everyone's life, always close, supporting them in the most difficult moments and comforting them when the anguish overcame them. The cornerstone of the Wayne family.

"I'll be waiting."

Tim allows himself a small smile, he will miss Alfred very much. He may be the person he will miss the most in the whole family, even above Dick.

"Al... Oh, Tim. Something happens?" Dick looks curiously at the hug, the atmosphere in the dining room feels gloomy, and it gives him the feeling that not only has he interrupted an important moment but he also just learned something that he should not, even if he does not know what it is.

"I'll go, Dick."

"You go? Why?"

"Master Tim has a very important mission." He smiles again, but without the shadow of goodbye reflected in his gesture.

_A very important mission, indeed._

The next days he occupies to put Wayne Enterprise in order, weighing in whether to leave everything in the hands of Bruce or place Damian as a direct heir. He also begins to appear less and less as Red Robin, not for his family, but so that the city does not suddenly feel the disappearance of one of its vigilantes.

Subtly and gently he loses himself in his routine, cutting off communication with the family. The only thing that interrupts his final preparations is an unexpected visit from Dick, catching him off guard after returning early from a patrol.

Nightwing awaits him on the roof of his building, holding a box of cakes and two coffees.

The two guards settle on the old theater, both with a coffee and cakes in the middle of the two.

"When you go?" Dick breaks the silence, his gaze is fixed on the dark horizon.

“Two more weeks, there are still projects I need to oversee on Wayne Enterprise, plus an upgrade for the steeple that I want to get finished.”

"Alfred said it's an important mission, does it really require you to disappear?" Dick looks at him worriedly and Tim can't help wanting to tell him everything, to trust his brother like he used to, but he can't it.

"Yeah.”

"When you will return?"

"I'll not come back…"

They are both silent, focused on anything but each other. The truth told is too awkward and sour, the realization that it might be the last conversation they have and that they will never see each other again weighs heavily on their shoulders.

Small drops begin to fall on them, but neither is fazed.

"Tim. Take Damian with you."

"What?"

“He… Damian hadn't killed anyone, not even by accident, in three years; It sure feels bad on its own, but B doesn't make it any easier. I tried, Timmy, but I can't help him and if he keeps wanting to prove himself to B, it'll get worse. ”The rain begins to fall more insistently on them and is their signal to get up.

Tim lets him into his residence, allowing him to settle in while he goes over the words spoken by the older man, he removes the hood and leaves it on one of the sofa, revealing the dark circles and the paleness of his face.

"When was the last time you slept?"

"Five days, I need to finish everything..."

"You must rest a little."

Tim smiles bleakly and settles on the couch across from his brother.

"I'll rest when I get out of Gotham… About Damian, are you sure you want me to take him?" He examines the older man's face, his mask has been removed, and his expression lines reflect the tenseness of his entire body. "The last word is his, but if he accepts, you will no longer see him. You adore it, if you could you would have adopted him."

"And that's why I want the best for him, if I take him to Blüdhaven it will be the same. I never get rid of B nor in another city, will the same happen to him... I want Damian to be happy, to find his own path without fear of disappointing someone, without the expectations that being a Wayne puts on him. "

"Fine." He gets up and walks into his little secluded workroom, the only computers that aren't connected to either WE or the cave or the bell tower, has his own technology designed by him and funded by Drake Inc., no way let Batman know about the information stored there.

And if you are taking Damian, he must include him in his plans and let her know.

"Tim, what are you doing there?"

"You asked me to take Damian, I must have everything ready to offer to come with me."

Later, he goes into his work ignoring Dick, even ignoring the goodbye and the request to rest; Tim has all his concentration focused on the new documents that he must write and the legal papers that he must forge in case of taking Damian with him.

_Damian won't accept it, least of all coming from me._

_If I have the documents ready tomorrow, I will look for him... I hope this doesn't delay my plans._


	4. My way

If it were any other day of any other month in any other year before that, he would have refused, but it's not any other day, it's the day that Damian Wayne has accepted that he's fed up with being, precisely, Damian Wayne.

His world was shaken a lot since he was ten years old and when the earthquakes under his feet finally stopped, an earthquake destroyed everything he suffered to build. The relationship with Grayson was taken from him, all his efforts were ignored and trampled on as if they meant nothing. His title was a lie, his _privileged_ position a mirage and being of the same blood, a chain that hurt them both.

_Maybe we should just go our separate ways._

"Damian?"

"Daemon Rothschild."

"Uh." Drake just turns to the computer and starts working.

Damian, no, **Daemon** sits on the floor and takes one of the thrown papers, looking at it as if it were an object of real interest. It is a letter written in French, a delicate curved handwriting that says a lot about the lady who wrote it.

_CN has not been on patrols for the past two weeks, his father exhibiting erratic behavior near the fifth anniversary of his wife's **disappearance** , increasingly desperate to get the two prodigies. CN mentioned that N made a successful recovery after four years of illness, a little longer and would have had the same end as E._

_P has started an investigation against HM in his civilian identity for child exploitation, psychological abuse and illegal use of military weapons. Your tests and what was rescued from MK's memory were weighty, even if we don't arrest them for their crimes as HM, GA will spend a lot of time in prison and with TK and PG we have talked about the curses, I was even in contact with the man who you mentioned to me, JC turned out to know a lot about prodigies and provided important information to achieve the goal I mentioned you._

_I know you will continue to investigate until you remove all the dirt that HM hides, I hope some of that can be used in court. It's been five long years and you don't know how grateful I'm that we met that night._

_Come visit me soon, MDC._

The date is of ten months ago. Drake kept this woman, his activities with her, and the whole criminal affair a secret. Only someone with knowledge of the matter could understand whose initials are, but from the things of a certain Gabriel Agreste scattered all over the floor, you can assume that HM and GA are the same person. A type of villain? That is probable. And the chances that this woman is the same in the photographs are very great.

"Entertaining?" Drake turns to him, looking at him with an amused expression. Daemon assumes that he had everything ready just to add whatever name he chose.

Drake never does anything without having everything done beforehand. In those moments it's even reassuring, it means that he took the time to think about whether carrying it was a good idea, that he's not just a dead weight that he decided to drag without knowing what to do with him, that he took the trouble to make it as significant as his own depart.

"Who is MDC?"

"The person we're meeting with. Now, do you want to go back to the mansion or would you rather we go to dinner?"

"You're acting suspicious, Drake."

"I'm not going to risk that your built-in tracker has a damn microphone, mine had one and it was annoying as hell to get rid of it without raising suspicions." He gets up from his chair when the AI is heard, _Kolia_ , deliver a report.

**_Batman requests a meeting. The Joker has escaped from Arkham an hour ago._ **

_Perfect._

_I haven't even gotten a damn message._

Daemon takes out his phone, which only has a message from Jon advising that his things were taken by Alfred. Unsurprisingly, all of Arkham could have escaped, but his father would not revoke his punishment even on his deathbed.

"You will go?"

Drake walks over to a drawer and pulls out a gold ring? Some kind of double ring attached by a wire? Or something like that. He can't see it well.

"My old Red Robin suit will looks good on you, I'm sure. Do you want to disobey his orders? "He gives him a knowing smile and there's a crazy desire in his gaze to spread the chaos he'd only seen in Todd in his best days.

_Will life with Drake be like this?_

It seems he have made the right decision, there is only one question left to ask.

"What suit will you wear?"

"The one I used in Paris."

Drake leaves the matchbox in an unknown direction, Daemon immediately follows him so as not to lose him. He doesn't know the apartment, if he wants to wear that suit, if he wants to fight on his own terms, he's not in his plans to get lost.

The hidden part that is the main base of Red Robin is as modern as the bell tower, although he has a small suspicion that accessing this place is much more difficult than the cave. He has no proof, but no doubts either.

"From today you will no longer be Robin, take the suit as a simple transition between what you were and what you will be. When I took the old Red Robin costume, I did it because Jason had already worn it and that meant he was no longer Robin, but more importantly, I was no longer bound by the rules that Batman had set me... I was willing to go so far as necessary in my search for Bruce. "

"Makes sense."

Daemon always thought that wearing that suit and calling himself Red Robin only spoke of a lack of originality, of preparation, but it seems that he also spoke a lot about what Drake intended to do from that moment on. It took a year for him to put on a suit again and hit the streets, it took him a month to settle in and then it was only a matter of time before he left for three years.

"Change out. We will go around Gotham and wait for the night. We can find out what B is planning from Jason."

Drake sits down and activates the central computer, _Kolia_ starts asking for identity checks, very interesting questions, but only one catches his attention.

**_Girl or boy?_ **

"Girl."

Daemon looks at him for a moment before heading to the locker room, intrigued.

Look at the Red Robin suit in his hands, the suit that marked the change of direction Drake took so long ago. And now it will also mark his.

_If there is a better version of me._

_I will reach it._

Red Robin slides into the back of the motorcycle with Solarhahn, whose colors are predominantly red and gold with a little orange. The costume is magical, it's easy to guess just by looking at his eyes: the yellow sclera and orange eyes with red that stare back at him, surrounded by a red mask that fades into yellow near the edges. His cape simulates wings that start from the arms, those, he identified, can be detached to become (1) arrows and (2) small throwing blades, depending on his intentions. The costume is predominantly dark red with gold parts on the thighs, chest, and arms, the gloves a shade of red that doesn't decide whether to remain red or turn orange. But the most interesting thing is his black hair that melts into red and ends in gold towards the ends, as if it were on fire.

He couldn't help but give him a second glance when he saw it, the gold ring on his right ring finger, almost hidden by the shade of the gloves.

Drake showed him a little summary of the whole situation, the heroes and his role, but it was all too superficial, but enough to capture the significance of the event.

A very dangerous magical matter, too delicate and of which only Wonder Woman was aware outside of Paris, until Drake crashed with the whole thing in his search for Bruce. That sounds like something that would happen to him, he have that kind of luck.

"Don't ask questions. We will answer everything, but later."

Daemon nods and Drake instructs _Kolia_ to report anything to the communications. That's when he gives him a very particular one and the same yellow color that he wears in his suit. He takes it and puts it on before putting on his hood, at which point the older man starts the motorcycle and the doors begin to open.

As they race through the streets of Gotham at dusk, Daemon looks up at the orange sky.

_I extend my corrupted hand... towards a heaven that will no longer receive me._

_But I know this is the way to save myself._

_To find my way._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I liked the name Daemon, it's of Greek origin. So, I was looking for names and I found it, I knew it was that. The other name was Demian, after Demian Sinclair from Hernan Hesse's book, but I decided on the other. Also, Daemon can also mean demon if other meanings are looked up and I see it almost as an inside joke that only he and Tim will know.
> 
> It was hard for me to write this chapter, I didn't want to make it sad, but I didn't want it to feel out of place either, I hope I made it.
> 
> From here it's only a matter of time before Marinette appears on the scene.
> 
> What do you think of how the story unfolds so far?


End file.
